Penn Hills, PA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Penn Hills, PA, also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance, set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Key Facts
- Rule
- burning solid waste is unlawful
- Applies to
- all public and private property
- Exceptions
- chapter, Act 97, or Health Dept rules
- Enacted
- Ord. No. 2023-2702, June 26, 2023
- Jurisdiction
- Municipality of Penn Hills, Allegheny Co.
Summary
Penn Hills bans burning any solid waste anywhere in the Municipality, allowing burning only if it complies with the Solid Waste chapter, Act 97 rules, or County Health Department regulations.
It shall be unlawful for any person to burn any solid waste within the Municipality except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, any Department rules and regulations adopted pursuant to Act 97 and the Health Department Rules and Regulations, Article VIII.
(c) It shall be unlawful for any person to dispose of any solid waste in the Municipality except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, any Department rules and regulations adopted pursuant to Act 97 and the Health Department Rules and Regulations, Article VIII.
(d) It shall be unlawful for any person to haul, transport, collect, or remove any solid waste from public or private property within the Municipality without first securing a license to do so in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
(e) It shall be unlawful for any person to scavenge any materials from any solid waste that is stored or deposited for collection within the Municipality without prior approval by the Municipality.
(f) It shall be unlawful for any person to salvage or reclaim any solid wastes within the Municipality except at an approved and permitted resource recovery facility under Act 97 and any Department rules and regulations adopted pursuant to Act 97.
(g)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4434863; v5 updated 2025-07-21; through 07-21-2025).
Full Breakdown
Section 1060.03(b) of the Solid Waste chapter, added by Ordinance No. 2023-2702 in 2023, makes it unlawful for any person to burn any solid waste - defined broadly to include garbage, rubbish, and bulky waste - anywhere within the Municipality except under the chapter's own rules, Department regulations adopted under Act 97, or Allegheny County Health Department Rules and Regulations, Article VIII. The same section separately bars illegal dumping, unlicensed hauling, and scavenging from collection points. It applies municipality-wide to Penn Hills, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania - not to neighboring Pittsburgh.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 1060 carries no stand-alone fine schedule, so a burn-ban violation falls under the Code's general penalty (§ 202.09): up to $1,000 and up to 30 days' imprisonment for nonpayment, with each day of continued violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn trash or yard debris in my yard in Penn Hills?
Does the ban cover leaves and yard waste?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Penn Hills
How Penn Hills compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Penn Hills to another location·View the Pennsylvania fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Allegheny County handle outdoor burning.